Police arrest captain and three officials over Virgo ship sinking
Police Arrest Captain, Three Officials in Virgo Ship Sinking Case
Reporter
October 8, 2026 | 06:29 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Police have named and arrested four suspects in connection with the fatal KM Virgo Transport 8 accident that occurred on September 13, 2026. Three of the suspects are employees of PT Virgo Karya Shipping, while the fourth is the vessel’s captain. Investigators suspect corporate and operational negligence contributed to the accident, which resulted in dozens of fatalities, severe injuries, and property damage.
Chief of the Public Information Bureau at the National Police Public Relations Division, Brig. Gen. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, stated that investigators are examining not only the captain’s individual responsibility but also the company’s involvement in the incident. “The naming of suspects is based on the investigation’s findings and case construction, which indicate allegations of negligence, complicity, or assistance in connection with the ship accident,” Trunoyudo said in a written statement.
The four suspects are AY, captain of the KM Virgo Transport 8; LBA, an agent at PT Virgo Karya Shipping; RH, operations manager at PT Virgo Karya Shipping; and YR, general manager of the company’s Surabaya branch.
Investigators initially detained AY on September 25, 2026. Police arrested the three company officials on October 4, 2026. All four are currently being held at the South Kalimantan Police Directorate of Detention and Evidence.
Trunoyudo explained that investigators are probing the alleged corporate involvement based on evidence gathered in the case. Police are also exploring the potential roles of other parties that may have contributed to the maritime disaster.
“So, the investigation is not only directed at the parties directly operating the ship, but also examines corporate involvement if evidence points to complicity or assistance in causing the accident,” Trunoyudo stated.
In this case, investigators are applying Article 302, Paragraph (3) of Law No. 17/2008 on Shipping and Article 474, Paragraph (3) of the Criminal Code (KUHP). Police are also applying the provisions on complicity and assistance as stipulated in Articles 20 and 21 of Law No. 1/2023 on the Criminal Code.
AY remains in custody until October 14, 2026. Meanwhile, the detention periods for LBA, RH, and YR run through October 23, 2026.
The KM Virgo Transport 8 accident occurred in the Masalembo waters of the Java Sea on Sunday, September 13, 2026. Carrying 243 people, the vessel had set sail from Surabaya to Banjarmasin on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The vessel lost contact at around 2:00 a.m. WITA.
The National Police Directorate of Water Police under the Water and Air Police Corps subsequently took over case management from the South Kalimantan Regional Police on September 28, 2026. Investigators have formally named the vessel’s captain, Arief Yunianto, a suspect while continuing to examine potential involvement by other parties.
Meanwhile, a joint SAR team is still searching for 53 missing victims of the KM Virgo Transport 8 accident. According to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) data as of October 6, 2026, the SAR team has accounted for 190 of the 243 people listed on the ship’s manifest. A total of 108 people survived, while 82 lost their lives.
Basarnas continues search operations across the jurisdiction of SAR offices in Banjarmasin, Palangka Raya, and Pontianak. PT Virgo Karya Shipping is preparing operations to raise the wreckage from the Java Sea seabed to support the search for victims believed to still be inside the vessel.
Read: Sunken Virgo Transport 8 Ship to Be Raised This Month
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